HOME DEPOT HELL

National Review Online - The Corner ^ | April 20, 2004 | John Derbyshire

[Cincinatus' Wife]

This darn place is going to the dogs. As if the aisle-closing business wasn't bad enough, I have now encountered a new annoyance.

The Home Depot has introduced self-check-out stations. Fair enough, and a convenience, if you have just small items & no complications. However, there are now situations -- I just encountered my second -- where Home Depot employees apparently feel that the self-check-out business relieves them of the need to man check-out stations altogether. If for some reason you can't check yourself out, there may be no regular check-out stations manned. (Personned, whatever.)

I gotta stop using this store.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I have talked to our local stores about this. Now I'm going to hand this editiorial to my local store managers and tell them Lowes must be loving this.

______________________________________________________________________________

Home Depot Customer Care

The Home Depot is dedicated to providing our customers with excellent customer service. If you would like to contact us with a comment or complaint, please call our Customer Care Department where one of our specialists will be able to speak with you personally. The Customer Care Department is available Monday through Friday, 8am-8pm ET. We are always appreciative of our customer's input and will work with you to provide the information you require or a solution to your problem. Call 1-800-553-3199.

___________________________________

Corporate Office

For questions about corporate issues such as donation requests, investor relations, media relations, public relations, marketing, vendor relations and community affairs, call our Corporate Office. Call 770-433-8211

[ken5050]

Who says that conservative's don't whine?.....NO doubt, tomorrow Kerry will introduce in the Senate a HOME DEPOT Customer's Bill of Rights..

[zip]

ping

[Michael81Dus]

This IS a horrible place. In Home Depot Hollywood, L.A., they had no adapter for the continental European plug system, and I asked if they could tell me if another store in the area had it. Tell you what? The answer was: "Ya know what the yellow pages? Look it up on your own!"

That was the only time I have experienced really bad service in the US! I will never go to Home Depot again (LOL).

[FreedomPoster]

Personally, I love the concept of self-checkout. The problem is, Home Depot's readers stink. The ones at Kroger and Publix are much better.

I do prefer Lowes, and I'm here in the home of Home Depot. Home Depot is complacent.

[DainBramage]

I felt the same untill I started using the self check out for small purchases. Its faster by a mile than waitng in line unless you have to pay with a check.

All of it is just to desensitize us to having a chip implant in our hand.

Wait till home depot has the orange helicopters follow us.

[Puddleglum]

I like self-checkout except for the sterile computer voice that says such things as "place item in bag." They need to have an option where you can select from a variety of voices, such as the Mr. T voice: "Place the item in the bag, fool! Now git your change! I pity the fool who shops at Lowes!"

[dawn53]

They tried self check outs at a local K-Mart.

When they worked, it was nice, when they didn't it was a nightmare.

I've used them at grocery stores on occasion, but once again, if something doesn't scan right, it takes you twice as long as if you were waiting in a line.

They should assign a clerk to watch over the self check outs, IMHO.

I saw that we just had one or two at our local Home Depot. Haven't tried them yet. Home Depot is such a zoo, I prefer the nearby Lowe's. It's a little more expensive, but not nearly as crowded. However, they don't have what we want and we HAVE TO make the trip to the Depot, yuck.

[mystery-ak]

I use self-check all the time at Kroger, but I have noticed that the lines are longer because the clerk is helping all the customers with the computers/machines..it would be a lot faster to just check them out.

[chemicalman]

Home Depot, WalMart, Winn Dixie....They popping up all over.

[FreedomPoster]

Are they relatively new at your Kroger? It takes a while for the majority of people to get acclimated - at least a year, seriously.

I love it, I can zip right through, if there is an open station.

[oceanperch]

They have the unmanned check outs in Freddies here in Oregon now too.

I refuse to learn how to do it.

I also hate the store where you have to bag your own stuff.

I shop I spend I have to manuver KV's wheelchair with one arm and my cart with the other while not blocking others way and smiling while he visits with everyone by the time I get to check out my back hurts, I not only want to be checked out and have someone bag the stuff I ask for a carry out. But I do not park in the Handi cap parking I park way out there where the ground is flat and no traffic..where the RV parking is. The kids assisting love to talk Conservative Politics too. Something we can't do to close to the store while they are working.

[oceanperch]

We just got a Office supply Depot can't think of the chain but I refuse to go in there. Customer service leaves me snippy and I don't like being snippy.

[mystery-ak]

NO, we have had them for over a year....I have no problem either....I was in Krogers last night to pick up milk and bread...I stood there several minutes watching the clerk run from one customer to another helping them with the machines saying *please scan you next item or place your purchase in the bag*...I finally got in the *fast lane* which moved a lot quicker....some people cannot adapt.

[oceanperch]

Orange Helicopters LMAO on that one.

[GulfWar1Vet]

I don't like Home Depot.

Lowe's all the way!

We have scanners at the grocery store and at Wal-mart. If you have 20+ items, PLEASE use the clerk!

[Michael81Dus]

Exactly. That´s why I´m glad for competition. Just imagine if you had no choice to enter the store or not. Well, at least we got the Internet...

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Home Depot is complacent.

Yes they are. When I complained at the customer desk, the checker looked embarrassed and told me I wouldn't believe how many compaints she takes about this. I asked her if anyone was listening? She just looked at me.

[ken5050]

Listen, CW's wife is trying to cause a run in the HD stock..she shorted it yesterday....if the stock opens DOWN a few points today, you'll know the power of FR..

[mewzilla]

Note to the author: If you want service, bright guy, go to your local, mom-and-pop hardware store. If there are any left in your locale.